


One Free Backrub

by dantewhitecrow



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Lucretia catches some feelings, Magnus tries to be helpful, back rub
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 13:03:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14593608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dantewhitecrow/pseuds/dantewhitecrow
Summary: Madam Director overworks herself and Magnus lends his hands to the cause.





	One Free Backrub

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this for my fiance, just some angsty fluff. Can be interpreted as a ship if you want, but it's mostly platonic.

It’s late.

Extremely late.

So late in fact, one could even argue that it was early. The lamp that burned on Lucretia’s desk so bright hours before, is dimming by the moment, exhausted of oil from her long, long night of planning. There were only two relics left. Two! She was so close it was driving her mad. Once more she raked her gaze over the piles of parchments and documents scattered in a less than orderly fashion on her desk but her brain had come to a full halt. She just could not get any of the gears moving at this hour. Not just her mental gears either. Lucretia felt like her body was made of lead and rust, heavy, stuck, and useless. She was so tired. Maybe, just a quick rest for her eyes. Just a brief second of relaxation. Lucretia leaned forward to lay her head on her desk and she could swear she hear every bone creak as she practically slumped down. 

Pillowing her head on her arms, she told herself, ‘Just… like ten minutes. Maybe twenty…’ And she immediately fell asleep.

A couple of hours later, in the still wee hours of the early morning, Magnus was making his way to the Director’s office, determined to catch her at a quiet moment. She was always so busy, it was hard to get some good ol’ one-on-one with the lady, and after their most recent success with retrieving the Philosopher's Stone, Magnus wanted to discuss some possible plans on how the next relic should be handled when it revealed itself. And maybe just have a nice friendly chat. Okay, so mostly just to chat. Get her thinking about something other than the possible end of the world she seemed so worried about. Upon arriving at the the Director’s office door, Magnus tapped his knuckles lightly against the wood in a fun little rhythm. 

No response.

He tried again, just a little louder.

Nothing.

Glancing around, Magnus shrugged to no one, and tried the door handle. It was unlocked so he gently swung it open and slipped inside.

It was dark, the lamp having long since run out of oil, so it took Magnus a moment to even realize that Lucretia was even in here, passed out on her desk, snoring softly. He tip-toed across the room and carefully refilled the lamp and lit it, casting a soft yellow light through the room. Magnus then reached over and lightly tapped Lucretia on the shoulder. 

She instantly bolted upright, a piece of paper sticking briefly to her cheek before she ripped it off and looked around the room with some alarm.

“What’s happened? What time is it? What’s wrong?” She sputtered out anxiously, eyes wide. 

Magnus held up his hands and immediately tried to calm the Director.

“Ma’am it’s fine, everything’s fine. It’s barely morning and nothing is wrong, you were just asleep on your desk and I woke you.”

Lucretia continued to survey the office as if to make sure it looked the same. “A-asleep on my desk.” She finally begins to calm down, then turns an intense stare on Magnus. “So, what are you doing in here?”

“Ah! Well, I just, wanted to check. You know make sure you’re not working too hard, tiring yourself out and maybe I just wanted to spend some quality time with my boss lady!”

Lucretia frowned at Magnus and put on her best ‘Director face’. “While I appreciate the sentiment, Magnus, working as hard as I have been is one of the reason we’ve been finding those relics so quickly. I can’t slack off for even a moment. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my research so we can continue on this momentum.”

She begins to stand from her chair and goes still as they both hear soft but audible crack. Lucretia is motionless, half way out of her chair, her mouth pressed into a thin line. Magnus stares, waiting for the Director to speak, but she doesn’t move from her position. 

“Uh… Are you.., okay?” Magnus asked.

In a slightly more strained tone of voice, she replied, “Mhm! Quite alright, just uh. Need to stretch out a bit, a small cramp, nothing serious-” As she tries to straighten up, she winces and lets out a small yelp of pain. 

Magnus moves forward and takes Lucretia by her arm, guiding her back down into her chair. “Take it easy, it sounds like you might have uh. Pulled something.”  
Lucretia nodded, gripping Magnus’s arm tightly for support. Once she's back in her chair, she sighs heavily, with her head tilted back, eyes shut against the pain. While she sat Magnus stood near her, rocking on his heels.

“So are you hurting real bad or?” he asked casually.

She shook her head, “I don't think it's anything too serious. Just, not enough stretching throughout my day.” 

“Ssooooooo, maybe something a free back rub might fix?”

Lucretia's eyes shot open. 

Without looking at him, she said, “Magnus. Nightmare scenario.” 

Magnus laughed, “Are you sure the nightmare scenario isn't not being able to get out of your chair because your back hurts too much?”

She pressed her mouth into that thin line again and side eyed Magnus. He continued to look at her silently, eyebrows raised.   
Finally, Lucretia sighed, more heavily and said, “You can at least help me over to my couch. So I can lay down properly?” 

Magnus nodded, “Can do, Ma’am.” 

He went to her side, wrapping one arm around her back to lift her, and held his other hand out for her to grab and steady herself. She winced and sucked in a tight breath as he eased her up out of the chair and slowly guided her around the desk. Leaning into him for support, something deep inside Lucretia’s chest began to ache. Gripping onto his solid arm, stock steady in his grip, she shut her eyes tight, but not against the pain. 

Against the guilt. 

She missed being close to people. To him. To them. For the few seconds it took to get across her office, Lucretia fought to remain in control of her emotions. She couldn’t afford for Magnus to see.

Magnus held Lucretia firm as she dropped herself gently onto the couch, trying to stretch out her back once more.

“Urk-!” she grunted. She glanced at Magnus again, he stood next to the couch watching. He asked, “Should I leave you to rest?”

“...Actually,” she began, “I… I think I’ve changed my mind about that back rub, if the offer is still on the table…”

Magnus chuckled, “Do you still have your coupon?”

Lucretia stared, unblinking, at Magnus. “You’re… joking, right?” she deadpanned. 

He laughed. “Yeah yeah I’m joking, I’m sorry. Scoot over so I can sit next to you.”   
She did as she was told, turning to sit cross-legged, with her back to Magnus. 

“Alright!” Magnus declared, cracking his knuckles; Lucretia jumped slightly at the sound. “Oop. Sorry Director…”

“It’s alright. Just still traumatized by my back making a similar sound minutes ago,” She replied with a weak smile over her shoulder.

“Right. I’ll keep the knuckle cracking at a minimum.”   
Magnus placed both hands on Lucretia’s shoulders, pressing the heel of his hands into the tight muscles. Moving in slow, firm circles, trailing down the length of her back, he messaged the stress out from either side of her spine. Next he rolled each knuckle of his hands back up her back, and felt the muscles loosen marginally, as Lucretia’s shoulders slumped.

Lucretia was staring blankly at the arm of the couch in front of her, thinking about how her heavy heart ached while her tired body relaxed, thinking about that secret down in her office, that secret that simultaneously fixed and ruined everything. Magnus had no idea that this was not even the first time he had offered, in one way or another, to make her feel better when the stress of running, of surviving, threatened to bring her to her knees indefinitely. She bit her lip to suppress the emotions that were brimming just below the surface of her stoic facade. Lucretia returned to the present, as Magnus moved his attention to the neck, rubbing the remaining tension out with his course thumbs. Lucretia straightened herself to stretch and gauge her comfort level.

“How ya feeling now, Madam?” He asked, brushing his hands off on each other.

“Much better thank you.” she answered raising her hands over her head and reaching momentarily for the ceiling. They both stood, and stared at each other for a moment, the silence becoming more awkward with the ticking of the clock. Lucretia sighed deeply and stepped toward Magnus, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. 

“... uhm, Director?” Magnus mumbled.

“Just shut up for second,” she whispered firmly, holding him for another moment or two.

When she pulled away and Magnus looked her in the face, she was one hundred percent Madam Director of the Bureau of Balance.   
She spoke in her usual business-like tone, “Thank you Magnus, you are dismissed.” 

Magnus blinked in confusion for a few seconds, then made his way to the door. Just as he was about to open the door, the Director said, “Oh and Magnus?”  
He turned, “Yes, Director?”

With no change in expression she said, “This is to stay in this room. If you say anything. To anyone. I’ll chuck you off the moonbase.”  
Magnus grinned and offered a small salute, “Understood, Madam!”

As the door shut behind him, Lucretia’s face fell, and she hung her head, staring at the floor. She refused to acknowledge the small puddle of tears, steadily growing at her feet.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


End file.
